emily and chris {birmingham wedding photography}

it’s one of my favorite days of the entire wedding process…the engagement session. not only does shooting together before the big day help the oh my goodness, there’s a camera pointed right at me panic to disappear so that only the comfortable interactions remain, but it’s also the perfect opportunity for me to see a bride and groom’s personalities in action. i learn them, they learn me, and we all know exactly who we are in relation to one another on the wedding day.

but sometimes it doesn’t work out like that, particularly when the bride and groom live in different states from each another or from me. yes, there are times when aside from a few phone conversations, my interactions with a bride and groom are limited to what i read in our emails back and forth in the months leading up to their wedding day. that was the case with emily and chris, but no sooner had i walked in the doors of the church last weekend than i felt like i was reuniting with old friends. they were so warm and welcoming, and the joy of the covenant marriage they were preparing to enter permeated its way throughout the whole day. excitement, thankfulness, and love…that pretty much sums it up.

congratulations to the new mr. and mrs. wilkins!!!! (and a huge thank you to ruthie for coming in all the way from memphis, tn to assist…you’re a treasure!!)